LU-Belleville hires new football coach

Lindenwood University-Belleville has hired Kevin Turco as its next head football coach. LU-Belleville

Lindenwood University-Belleville has hired Kevin Turco as its next head football coach. LU-Belleville

BELLEVILLE

Lindenwood University-Belleville has hired Kevin Turco as its next head football coach.

Turco, a Troy, Ohio, native, comes to LU-Belleville with nearly two decades’ worth of coaching experience. Most recently, Turco was the assistant head coach and offensive line coach at Urbana University since 2015.

Turco replaces former head coach Dale Carlson, who was fired in November following an 0-10 season in which the Lynx were outscored by an average of 40-12.

The Lynx won just four games in two seasons under Carlson, who was the second coach in program history. Carlson replaced previous head coach Jeff Fisher less than a month before the start of the 2015 season.

Sign Up and Save

“After a thorough review of the football program and a significant and detailed search of 165 applicants, Kevin Turco is the right fit for this program,” athletic director Ryan Kaiser said. “Kevin is a tireless worker, and our student-athletes are going to be held accountable. He is going to celebrate accomplishments while building better student-athletes.”

“I’m honored and humbled to be named the next head football coach at Lindenwood University-Belleville,” Turco said. “Although nothing earned is easy, we’re going to build this program one day at a time, holding true to our core values.”

Prior to Urbana, Turco spent four seasons at Northwestern Oklahoma State University. From 2011-13, Turco was the assistant head coach, offensive line coach and recruiting coordinator. In 2014, Turco was named the offensive coordinator, and after week one of the season, the interim head coach. Turco played an integral part in Northwestern Oklahoma State’s transition from NAIA to NCAA Division II.

Turco is a graduate of Western New England University in Massachusetts, where he played for two years at quarterback and wide receiver. Upon graduation, Turco enlisted into the United States Marine Corps from 1995 through 2001. After an honorable discharge, Turco started his coaching career at his alma mater.

Turco will be introduced at 11:30 a.m. Thursday during a press conference in the Dixon Overflow Room on the LU-Belleville campus.